Fighting child exploitation

Each one depicts a child with a bar code on their body. A laser scanner passes over the bar code, prompting messages such as, “exploited by a sex tourist,” followed by words on the screen that say, “kids are not commodities. Help stop child sex tourism.”

The United Nations estimates 150 million girls and 73 million boys under 18 years of age experience sexual exploitation or other forms of sexual violence with millions more likely exploited through prostitution and the creation and distribution of child pornography, according to Beyond Borders.

“The sexual exploitation of children is pervasive and with an increasingly global economy and unprecedented mobility aided by digital technology, there has never been a greater need for global cooperation to end this blatant human rights violation," said Beyond Borders president Roz Prober.

"There are no borders when it comes to this crime, which is why we need industries such as travel and tourism to take a lead role here.”

The ads began being shown on Air Canada flights at the start of February.

"A significant barrier to putting an end to the sexual victimization of children is silence and ignorance,” Prober said. “The impact of a corporation with Air Canada's profile speaking out on this issue can’t be underestimated."